Aon alumnus Vanessa Leemans has joined AXA XL as UK & Lloyd’s head of cyber.

Leemans, who spent nearly two decades at the brokerage and most recently served as EMEA/UK chief broking officer for Aon Cyber Solutions, will be in charge of leading AXA XL’s cyber business in the UK.

“I am very excited about this cyber underwriting team lead opportunity and taking the insurer path after 19 years in interesting broker positions,” she posted on LinkedIn. “Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way.”

Andrew Underwood, chief underwriting officer – specialty, UK & Lloyd’s, had nothing but nice words for the new colleague.

“The cyber market continues to experience strong demand as companies look for a trusted partner to cover increasingly complex technology risks,” he said. “We are strengthening our cyber presence in London under Vanessa’s leadership and are very pleased to welcome her to the business.

“As a seasoned industry professional, her extensive cyber insurance expertise and broader cyber security and risk knowledge make her well-placed to lead our business in the UK.”